One-Stop Shop is Tops

Homebuyers pay no more in settlement costs when they deal with affiliated real estate companies than they do if they conduct business with independent, unaffiliated companies, according to new research. The study, conducted by CapAnalysis Group for the Real Estate Services Providers Council, whose members include title companies, negates the theory that affiliated businesses provide inadequate service or overcharge customers, says Brian Levy, council chairman. "In fact, vertically integrated businesses are probably held even more accountable for exceptional service and competitive costs, because if something goes wrong anywhere in the transaction, the finger can only point back in one direction," Levy says. The council commissioned the survey in response to government scrutiny of settlement services that are directly or indirectly owned by the company or individuals referring the business.

Source: REALTOR® Magazine Online